Al Reem Island: A Guide to Living in Abu Dhabi's Urban Island

Al Reem Island is in Abu Dhabi, not Dubai. It is a dense, urban island of residential towers, a mall, schools and a large park, just off Abu Dhabi city. If you are weighing it against a Dubai address, this guide covers what life there is like, how you reach it and what to check first.

What Al Reem Island is and where it sits

Al Reem Island belongs to the emirate of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. Dubai is a separate emirate, with its own government and its own property rules. So a guide to a Dubai neighbourhood will not tell you how Reem works.

It is a man-made island beside Abu Dhabi city, not a natural one. It is joined to the city by bridges and built mostly as high-rise, mixed-use neighbourhoods.

The island is split into sub-areas, such as Marina Square, Shams Abu Dhabi, City of Lights and Reem Hills. Marina Square is a cluster of towers on the water's edge. Shams Abu Dhabi and City of Lights are mixed-use tower districts, with apartments above shops and services. Reem Hills is a lower-rise, more residential pocket. Views and distance to the mall and the park vary from one to the next, so check the distances for the specific building.

Types of homes on the island

Most homes on Al Reem Island are apartments in high-rise towers. Shams Abu Dhabi, for example, is home to the Gate Towers and the Sun and Sky Towers. There are also some townhouses and villas, mainly in low-rise pockets such as Reem Hills. Before you rent or buy, compare the age of the building, the view, the floor and how far the tower is from the mall and the park.

Is Al Reem Island a good place to live?

It suits people who want city living on the water, with services close by. You can have a mall, a clinic, schools and a park without leaving the island.

What works well

• Apartment towers, with the shops and services of an urban district on the doorstep.
• A city beach and green space in Reem Central Park.
• Quick access to Abu Dhabi city across the bridges.

What to weigh

• Traffic on the bridges at peak hours is a typical drawback of island living.
• Construction is a regular feature of a growing island, so ask about noise and about what is being built near a specific tower.
• It is a busy urban setting, not a quiet suburb.

Getting around, and how far it is from the city, the airport and Dubai

The island connects to Abu Dhabi city by bridges. Two new marine bridges opened on 21 March 2026, linking Al Reem Island directly to the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Highway (E-12). The Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) says they are designed for up to 7,200 vehicles per hour. It expects them to cut peak-hour travel times by 60 per cent, or 15 minutes. The project also includes 2km of pedestrian and cycling tracks.

Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi says its campus on the island is 30 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport. Your own time will vary with the hour and where on the island you start, so test the route at the hour you would travel.

The island sits right beside Abu Dhabi city centre, linked by bridges. Dubai is a different emirate and a separate city, so getting there is an intercity drive by road. If you would be commuting between the two, test it at peak hours.

Shops, schools, clinics and parks

What	Place	What to know
Mall	Reem Mall	Officially launched on 29 May 2024. It covers nearly 260,000 square metres with 6,800 parking spaces. Snow Abu Dhabi is one of its main entertainment attractions, and the mall also has restaurants and food outlets. At launch it opened Sunday to Thursday 10am-10pm and Friday and Saturday 10am-midnight. Hours may have changed since.
Primary care	Mediclinic Reem Mall	A primary care centre inside Reem Mall, offering a range of primary medical services.
School	Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi	Its campus is on the island.
University	Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi	Based on Reem Island, under its dome.
Park	Reem Central Park	It has sports facilities, a skating arena, a playground, a community lawn, a canal walk and a city beach.

This is a selection, not a full directory. Restaurants, salons and everyday services are spread across the towers' ground floors and the mall.

Beach and green space

Reem Central Park is the main green space, and its city beach and canal walk are the closest thing to a beach day on the island. The new bridge project also adds pedestrian and cycling tracks. If a sea-swimming beach matters to you, compare it with the beach-focused parts of Abu Dhabi first.

Free zone or freehold? Two different questions

Both are asked about Reem, and they are not the same thing.

• Free zone. In 2023 a UAE resolution extended the jurisdiction of ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market, a financial free zone) to Al Reem Island. Businesses licensed by ADGM and based on the island can access 0 per cent corporate tax on qualifying income, according to Gulf News.
• Freehold for foreigners. Freehold means you own the property outright, not a lease. In 2019, Abu Dhabi's Urban Planning Council listed Reem Island among the designated investment zones where non-GCC nationals can buy freehold property. Rules change, so check the current position before relying on that.

Frequently asked questions

Is Al Reem Island in Dubai or Abu Dhabi?

It is in Abu Dhabi, on an island just off the capital's city centre, not in Dubai.

Is Al Reem Island expensive?

It depends on the tower, the view, the floor, the age of the building, how close it is to the mall and the park, and whether you rent or buy. Compare current rents or sale prices for the specific buildings you like, using official Abu Dhabi data and live listings.

Who owns Al Reem Island?

There is no verified source here that names one owner of the island, so this guide does not name one. What matters when you rent or buy is who owns the specific unit and its building, so ask for the ownership details of that building.

Is Al Reem Island a free zone? Can foreigners buy there?

Since 2023, ADGM, a financial free zone, has had jurisdiction over Reem. That is separate from foreign property ownership. In 2019 the island was on Abu Dhabi's list of freehold investment zones for non-GCC nationals, so check the current rules.

Is Al Reem Island better than Yas Island or Saadiyat?

It depends on what you want. Reem is a city island for everyday urban living, while Yas leans towards leisure and entertainment and Saadiyat towards culture and beaches.

Is there a lot of traffic or construction noise on Al Reem Island?

Bridge traffic at peak hours and construction are the usual drawbacks. The bridges opened in March 2026 are meant to ease the traffic, and DMT expects a 15-minute saving at peak times.

Where to go next

If you are comparing Reem with a Dubai address, start with the Jumeirah Village Circle area page to see one of the Dubai areas Object 1's team knows best. For more on the island itself, see the Al Reem Island area page. To see what is available, open A1LA Residence or the full off-plan catalogue.